A presidential push to publicize psychology's contributions

APA's president will discuss promoting psychology, enhancing diversity and treating the 'whole' person, among other initiatives, in his convention address.

May 2005, Vol 36, No. 5

Print version: page 59

APA President Ronald F. Levant, EdD, will discuss his presidential initiatives and other activities during his presidential address, "Making Psychology a Household Word," on Saturday, Aug. 20, at 9 a.m.

"Making Psychology a Household Word" is the general theme for Levant's presidency as well as one of his four specific initiatives. Through the initiative, Levant says he hopes to mobilize members to promote the contributions of psychology to society, thereby helping the public recognize psychology's position as a top-tier science and profession. Other initiatives Levant will discuss:

Promoting health care for the whole person. By collaborating with a broad range of health-care organizations on a public statement on the role of psychology in health care, Levant hopes to promote the integration of physical and psychological health care in a reformed health-care system in which health-care professionals team up to treat the whole person.

Enhancing diversity within APA. With the help of a group of APA leaders, Levant wants to find ways to make a broad range of minority groups--based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status and age--feel more welcome in APA.

Developing an APA position on evidence-based psychological health-care practice. Levant created a task force to draft a statement that will acknowledge the valid points of all sides of the debate and propose a middle ground involving three pillars of evidence-based practice: research evidence, clinician expertise and patient preferences, values and culture.

Levant also will discuss some other themes he has pursued: prescriptive authority for psychologists, guidelines for psychological services for boys and men, serious mental illness, ending discrimination against sexual minorities in the military, addressing the relative lack of licensure mobility for psychologists and following up on the recommendations regarding the postdoctoral year by the Commission on Education and Training Leading to Licensure in Psychology.